NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Lipscomb track and field teams will be in Birmingham, Ala., Friday, for this weekend’s Birmingham Southern Invitational. The two-day event will be held at Panther Stadium, beginning Friday at 3 p.m.

The women’s shot put, men’s triple jump and men’s and women’s hammer throw, along with the men’s and women’s 3000m steeplechase will be contested on Friday. The remaining events take place Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m.

Lipscomb opened the outdoor season at last weekend’s UNF Spring Break Invite, posting strong marks in the Florida sun. Junior Ashton Fisher broke the school 3000m steeplechase record, while freshman Kendra Lobley shaved more than two minutes off her previous high 5000m run.

This is the fourth season in a row the Bison will be in Birmingham for this event. Six school records fell last season, with sophomore Dani Walker (5000m run), junior Sara Stephens (400m dash), sophomore O’Neisha Smith (high jump), sophomores Anna Belner and Taylor Mason (pole vault) and junior Dillon Seigenthaler (110m hurdles) setting new high marks. A new school-best in the 4x400m relay was set as well, with Walker, Stephens, sophomore Katie Bunker and junior Amanda Twigg running legs of the record-setting race.

Smith, Mason and Seigenthaler will be back in action in their events again this year.

Smith is making her 2012 track and field debut this weekend after spending the winter on the hardwood for the Lipscomb Lady Bison basketball team. Smith’s Lady Bison basketball teammates Anna Bowers (100m dash, long jump) and Brittany Duerk (shot put, javelin) will also make their 2012 track and field debuts this weekend.

Sophomore Tucker Peabody, the A-Sun 200m dash champion during indoor season and two-time A-Sun Male Runner of the Week, makes his first outdoor start of 2012 this weekend. Peabody was in Birmingham last weekend, attempting to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships in the 200m dash at the High Tide Qualifier.

Lipscomb will continue the spring schedule next weekend at the Rhodes Open in Memphis, Tenn.

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